A voltage regulator ideally provides a constant direct current (DC) output voltage regardless of changes in load current or input voltage. Voltage regulators may be classified as either linear regulators or switching regulators. While linear regulators tend to be small and compact, many applications may benefit from the increased efficiency of a switching regulator. A switching regulator may be implemented by a switched-mode power supply (SMPS), such as a buck converter.
Power management integrated circuits (power management ICs or PMICs) are used for managing the power requirement of a host system and may include and/or control one or more voltage regulators. A PMIC may be used in battery-operated devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, wearables, etc., to control the flow and direction of electrical power in the devices. The PMIC may perform a variety of functions for the device such as DC-to-DC conversion, battery charging, power-source selection, voltage scaling, power sequencing, etc.